Pluggable external wireless receiver module for a sewing machine

This application claims priority of Taiwanese application no. 092223052, filed on Dec. 31, 2003.

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a wireless receiver module, more particularly to a pluggable external wireless receiver module for a sewing machine.

2. Description of the Related Art

Control of an internal motor of a conventional sewing machine is usually conducted through a pedal-type controller. In particular, the rotation speed of an internal motor of the sewing machine is varied according to treading action on a pedal of the controller.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a conventional sewing machine is shown to include a machine body 91 having a motor (not shown) disposed therein, a socket connector 92 mounted on and accessible externally of the machine body 91 , a plug connector 93 for mating with the socket connector 92 , a power cord 94 and a signal cord 95 each connected at one end to the plug connector 93 , and a controller 96 connected to the other end of the signal cord 95 .

In operation, the controller 96 converts user treading action into corresponding control signals that are transmitted through the signal cord 95 and the socket connector 92 into the machine body 91 for controlling operation of the motor inside the machine body 91 .

When the conventional sewing machine is in use, the machine body 91 is usually placed on top of a table, whereas the controller 96 is placed on the ground to permit treading on the same. Therefore, since signal transmission between the controller 96 and the machine body 91 is conducted in a wired manner, the signal cord 95 must extend from the top of the table to the ground, which can result in some inconvenience.

To overcome the aforesaid drawback, it has been proposed heretofore to use a wireless mode of transmission between the controller and the machine body. To this end, a transmitter and a receiver are respectively provided in the controller and the machine body such that the controller converts user treading action into wireless control signals for subsequent transmission by the transmitter to the receiver in the machine body, thereby permitting control of the operation of the motor in the machine body.

It is noted that the space in the machine body of a conventional sewing machine is fully utilized. Hence, installation of the receiver inside the machine body is not allowed unless the original design of the machine body is modified. In other words, it is not possible to upgrade older sewing machines for wireless transmission purposes in view of lack of sufficient space in the machine body for accommodating the receiver.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a pluggable external wireless receiver module for a sewing machine so as to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.

According to this invention, there is provided a pluggable external wireless receiver module for a sewing machine that includes a machine body, a motor disposed in the machine body, and a connector mounted on and accessible externally of the machine body. The pluggable external wireless receiver module comprises a housing, a power terminal unit, a receiver device, and a control terminal unit.

The power terminal unit is mounted on the housing, and is adapted for connection to a power source. The receiver device is mounted in the housing, and includes a receiver unit adapted for receiving a wireless control signal, a processing unit connected to the receiver unit for processing the control signal received by the receiver unit, and a driving unit connected to the processing unit and the power terminal unit. The driving unit is controlled by the processing unit in accordance with the control signal received by the receiver unit so as to generate a corresponding motor control output. The control terminal unit is mounted on the housing, is connected to the driving unit of the receiver device, and is adapted for connection to the connector of the sewing machine, thereby transmitting the motor control output from the driving unit to the sewing machine for controlling operation of the motor of the sewing machine accordingly.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional sewing machine;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate a sewing machine and the preferred embodiment of a pluggable external wireless receiver module according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit block diagram to illustrate components of the preferred embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the preferred embodiment of a pluggable external wireless receiver module 2 of this invention is shown to be adapted for use with a sewing machine 1 that includes a machine body 11 , a motor 12 (see FIG. 3 ) disposed in the machine body 11 , a connector 13 mounted on and accessible externally of the machine body 11 , a switch 14 for making and breaking electrical connection between the motor 12 and the connector 13 , and a controller 15 that includes a transmitter circuit and that is capable of generating wireless control signals in response to user treading action in a conventional manner.

The pluggable external wireless receiver module 2 includes a rectangular housing 3 , a power terminal unit 4 , a receiver device 5 , a control terminal unit 6 , and a power cord 7 .

The power cord 7 is adapted for connection to a power source, such as a commercial AC power source.

The power terminal unit 4 is mounted on a rear side of the housing 3 , and is adapted for connection to the power source through the power cord 7 .

The receiver device 5 is mounted in the housing 3 , and includes a receiver unit 51 , a processing unit 52 , a driving unit 53 , and a press button 54 .

The receiver unit 51 is adapted for receiving the wireless control signal transmitted from the controller 15 . The processing unit 52 is connected to the receiver unit 51 for processing the control signal received by the receiver unit 51 . The driving unit 53 is connected to the processing unit 52 and the power terminal unit 4 . The driving unit 53 is controlled by the processing unit 52 in accordance with the control signal received by the receiver unit 51 so as to generate a corresponding motor control output. The press button 54 is provided on the housing 3 , is coupled to the processing unit 52 , and is manually operable for setting up the processing unit 52 . Since the feature of this invention does not reside in the setup process of the processing unit 52 , a detailed description of the same is dispensed with herein for the sake of brevity.

The control terminal unit 6 is mounted on a front side of the housing 3 , is connected to the driving unit 53 of the receiver device 5 , and is adapted for connection to the connector 13 of the sewing machine 1 . Therefore, the motor control output from the driving unit 53 can be transmitted to the sewing machine 1 for controlling operation of the motor 12 of the sewing machine 1 accordingly.

In use, it is only required to connect the control terminal unit 6 of the pluggable external wireless receiver module 2 to the connector 13 of the sewing machine 1 for enabling wireless control of the motor 12 through the controller 15 . Because the wireless receiver module 2 is not required to be disposed in the machine body 11 , older sewing machines can be easily upgraded for use with the wireless receiver module 2 of this invention.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.